‘I’m miserable, Dad! OK? Just like you said I would be. So now you can gloat all you want, now you can tell me that you saw it coming a mile off just like you did when we sent Thomas away. My boy. My only son and I barely get to see him. We don’t talk about him either, me and Justine. We don’t talk about much if the truth be known. Sometimes I wonder if she even remembers she has a son—’

‘Then leave,’ Richard cut in this time. He was stern, his voice raised and strong. It finally silenced Colin, whose expression was shocked, the words having the same visible impact as if Richard had slapped him.

‘I can’t. I can’t just walk away.’

‘Yes, you can. That boy over there won’t be a boy for long. You should be spending every minute you can with him. Take him with you.’

‘Then you really would be right!’

‘I don’t care about being right. I don’t care about anything but you and your happiness. And Thomas, of course.’

‘But without Justine …’

Richard shrugged. ‘Other people do it.’

‘There you go again! There you are, telling me to get rid of my wife!’

‘You just said you were miserable. If a relationship makes you miserable then walk away from it.’

‘Walk away? Just like that.’

‘You have the means, you have money. All you need is a little place and you can start again—’

‘I don’t want to start again! And money … Honestly, you have no idea. Justine … she has … she spends money, a lot of money, and she doesn’t let small things like the fact that isn’t any there to spend bother her. Someone like her can always get credit.’

‘All the more reason to get out while you can, while there’s still half of something.’

‘Half of something! There’s nothing left. What’s half of nothing, you tell me that? In fact, it’s worse. What’s half of thousands of debt? Tens of thousands maybe. I’ve stopped looking.’

Colin fell silent. Richard did too. His son wasn’t good at emotions; he was a closed book, had been all his life. Now Richard didn’t know what to say. ‘I can help. I have some savings, I can—’

‘No,’ Colin cut him off.

‘Colin, come on, you’re my son. I can help.’